Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities was a university constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1868 until 1918. It was merged with the Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities constituency to form the Combined Scottish Universities constituency.

Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities
Former University constituency
for the House of Commons
1868–1918
Number of membersOne
Replaced byCombined Scottish Universities

Electorate

As a university constituency, the constituency had no geographical basis. Instead, its electorate consisted of graduates from the University of Edinburgh and the University of St Andrews.

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1868 Lyon Playfair, later Baron Playfair Liberal
1885 John Macdonald Conservative
1888 by-election Moir Tod Stormonth Darling Conservative
1890 by-election Sir Charles Pearson Conservative
1896 by-election Sir William Overend Priestley Conservative
1900 by-election Sir John Batty Tuke Conservative
Jan. 1910 Sir Robert Finlay, later Viscount Finlay Liberal Unionist
1912 Unionist
1916 by-election Christopher Nicholson Johnston Unionist
1917 by-election Sir Watson Cheyne Unionist
1918 constituency abolished: see Combined Scottish Universities

Election results

Elections in the 1910s
By-election, 1917: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Watson Cheyne Unopposed
Unionist hold
By-election, 1916: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unionist Christopher Nicholson Johnston Unopposed
Unionist hold
General election Dec 1910: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [2][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Robert Finlay Unopposed
Liberal Unionist hold
General election Jan 1910: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist Robert Finlay 5,205 65.9 −2.0
Liberal Alexander Russell Simpson 2,693 34.1 New
Majority 2,512 31.8 −4.0
Turnout 7,898 69.8 +5.1
Registered electors 11,319
Liberal Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s
General election 1906: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [3][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Batty Tuke 4,893 67.9 N/A
Free Trader John Strachey 2,310 32.1 New
Majority 2,583 35.8 N/A
Turnout 7,203 64.7 N/A
Registered electors 11,131
Conservative hold Swing N/A
General election 1900: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [4][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Batty Tuke Unopposed
Conservative hold
By-election, 1900: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [4][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Batty Tuke Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1890s
By-election, 1896: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities[1][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative William Priestley Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1895: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities[1][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Pearson Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1892: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities[1][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Pearson Unopposed
Conservative hold
By-election, 1890: Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities[1][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charles Pearson Unopposed
Conservative hold

Elections in the 1880s
By-election, 6 Nov 1888: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [7][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Moir Tod Stormont Darling Unopposed
Conservative hold
By-election, 13 Aug 1886: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [7][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Macdonald Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1886: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [7][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Macdonald Unopposed
Conservative hold
General election 1885: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [7][1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Macdonald 2,840 53.7 +4.4
Liberal John Eric Erichsen 2,453 46.3 −4.4
Majority 387 7.4 N/A
Turnout 5,293 77.2 −6.1
Registered electors 6,860
Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +4.4
General election 1880: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair 2,522 50.7 N/A
Conservative Edward Robert Bickersteth[10] 2,448 49.3 New
Majority 74 1.4 N/A
Turnout 4,970 83.3 N/A
Registered electors 5,966
Liberal hold Swing

At Edinburgh Playfair had received 1,742 votes and Bickersteth 1526, and at St Andrew's Playfair received 512 votes and Bickersteth 698. Eleven of Dr Playfair's ballot papers had not been counted ″Owing to certain information″.

Elections in the 1870s
General election 1874: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair Unopposed
Registered electors 4,861
Liberal hold
By-election, 4 Dec 1873: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair Unopposed
Liberal hold

Elections in the 1860s
General election 1868: Edinburgh & St Andrews Universities [9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Lyon Playfair 2,322 52.9 N/A
Conservative Archibald Campbell Swinton 2,067 47.1 N/A
Majority 255 5.8 N/A
Turnout 4,389 89.9 N/A
Registered electors 4,880
Liberal win (new seat)

References
  1. Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
  2. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1916
  3. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  4. Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  5. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  6. The Times, 4 May 1900
  7. Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
  8. "Edinburgh And St Andrew's Universities". The Cornishman (92). 15 July 1880. p. 5.
  9. Craig, F. W. S., ed. (1977). British Parliamentary Election Results 1832-1885 (e-book) (1st ed.). London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 978-1-349-02349-3.
  10. "Election Intelligence". Reading Mercury. 21 February 1880. p. 6. Retrieved 25 November 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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